Demonstrating Nitrogen Treatment Effectiveness through Innovative Bench Wetland Systems

The proposed project directly addresses three of the four Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) objectives by reducing nutrient loading and enhancing wildlife and other ecosystem services, while maintaining agricultural productivity in Indiana, one of the 12 states of consideration. The primary program area addressed is Water Management, through demonstration of treatment effectiveness and efficiency of nitrogen contaminants in runoff or drainage water using innovative practices. In addition, by leveraging other on-going efforts, the proposed project will address many other topics within the MRBI initiative, including:
Wildlife Habitat Improvement - Demonstration of new technique for monitoring fish Habitat
Vegetative Practices – Demonstration of the efficacy of reconnecting subsurface drainage to interflow for enhanced denitrification of shallow groundwater; Demonstration of how placement of appropriate perennial vegetation can bolster nutrient management;
Adaptive Management - Developing models to evaluate the effects of MRBI initiated systems of practices at watershed scales.
Program Outreach - Creating a MRBI demonstration and program outreach site.